Totally Typography: 18 Textual Packaging Designs

These 18 packaging designs, found on everything from trash bags to gourmet cheese, don’t need fancy graphics or photography to stand out on the shelf. They employ the beauty of text, in flourishing or minimalist sans-serif typefaces, carefully chosen and arranged to convey the identity of the brand.

Chocolate Cut-Outs by Niamh Richardson

Typography cut-outs characterize this fresh modern packaging by Niamh Richardson. “The text on the front of the packaging was die-cut by hand into rough brown paper, chosen to suggest the organic chocolate. This reveals the bright aluminum foil beneath, which distinguishes each flavour of chocolate. The minimal design reflects the simple, honest ethics of the brand: organic, fairtrade and eco-friendly.”

So Good… Naturally by JJAAKK Design

The So Good… Naturally packaging by JJAAKK Design features large, quirky hand-drawn text. “Design concepts for a line of organic nuts and trail mixes. Hand-drawn type, patterns and a natural color palette make this packaging feel right at home on your next hike.”

Organic Farm by Lindsay Perkins

Lindsay Perkins of the Savannah College of Art and Design designed this typography-covered packaging for a small, local organic farm in rural Maine. “Since all produce grown at organic farms is just a little bit different from each other, I decided to make everything about the packaging, just a little bit different from each other. All type used in the packaging is hand rendered in the shape of grass.”

100% Chocolate Cafe

Each of 100% Chocolate Cafe’s 56 flavors – including cheese and black pepper – are boldly numbered on brightly colored packaging, making it easy for enthusiasts to quickly locate their favorites among the large displays.

Niche Wine Co. by Top Shelf Creative

Top Shelf Creative and Geoff Vreeken made Niche Wine stand out on the shelves with basic black type on an off-white background. “The idea was to bring a craft beer feel to the wine category. A masculine, old letterpress approach used to demonstrate the fact that the winery is essentially a four-person, hands-on operation … much like craft brewing.”

Brie Bistro Packaging

‘Brie Bistro’, a brand name of cheese from Swedish dairy company Skånemejerier, is spelled out in a few choice fonts on this packaging design by ID Kommunikation. “Our task was to give the product a new packaging design reflecting the qualities of the cheese and making it stand out from the crowd. The final result is a purely graphic design with inspiration from the beloved French cuisine and old time brasseries.”

Azita’s Hot Sauces & Dry Rubs

Type is subtly and not-so-subtly integrated into the packaging for various hot sauces and dry rubs by Azita. Whether blended into the background or featured in bold contrast, this typography has become part of the brand’s identity.

Before Grain Dog & Cat Food by 29 Agency

The ‘Before Grain’ brand of dog and cat food got a major makeover thanks to Dallas-based 29 Agency. 29 Agency specializes in high-end boutique pet foods, and it shows in this typography-on-black design scheme.

From Our Farms by Si Thorpe

Why shouldn’t products like eggs get well-designed packaging, too? Designer Si Thorpe of the UK gave this ethically minded egg company a clean look with typography that’s a little rough around the edges for a screen-printed effect.